Browsing: Self Hypnosis

Regularly indulging in self-hypnosis improves your life. And, like all things that transform you, there is no one exit. If your finances improve thanks to self-hypnosis, so will your health. If you enjoy life more because of it, you'll be more creative.

And so on. In personal development, a rising tide really does lift all boats.

Even if you focus on one area of ​​your life – like friendships – you'll see multiple benefits manifesting in parallel.

In other words, everything improves.

This happens to the extent where it becomes difficult to track. It's hard to say that you're friendlier because you have more energy or because you listen more. It could be both or a hundred other things.

With science, you isolate the variables and test them one at a time. With self-hypnosis, everything improves together.

This is why there's one personality trait that's sometimes overlooked. When you develop this – and, when you train your mind hypnotically, it comes with the package – your friendships improve and it's hard to explain why.

You know that you've resolved some issues.

You know that you're more pleasant to be around.

These things do not quite explain it. There's something more to what's going on than it looks.

Then it hits you – a moment of epiphany. Your friendships enrich because you are more open to experiences.

If you think about what causes friendships, you notice something strange. It seems as though you hang out with people because you like their personality. That's important – it keeps a relationship alive – but you realize it does not cause it.

After all, there are plenty of people with equally great personalities online. It's not hard to spend time with anyone these days, no matter where they are in the world. Yet friendships form with the people you surround yourself with. These are people from your school, work, neighborhood, gym or forums.

Your colleagues, whether online or offline

And what's the best way to turn colleagues into friends?

Give them a shared experience.

With amazing strangers online, you can become friends … but only if you spend time in the same communities. Few people will be drawn to the beacon of your personality, no matter how good it is. It's the same with face-to-face – you have to experience something together for the bonds to strengthen.

No matter how compatible you might be, without going through something – whether it's fun, dramatic, emotional, dangerous or exciting – you will not become friends.

So the more you experience, the more (and better) friendships you'll forge.

Self-hypnosis automatically makes you more open to things. The hypnotic state allows you to see opportunities that you'd otherwise miss. It makes you more willing to act on ideas, accept suggestions and create moments you will always treasure.

Dating requires a certain something from you. It's not good looks, since beautiful people can be shallow and plain people can be captivating. It's not money because you can create amazing experiences with pocket change.

Is it charisma?

Kind of. But fear not – there's a type of charisma that even timid, meek folk can tap into.

You do not even need a pulse for this one. In fact, if zombies could hold a conversation, they'd be great at this. The shuffling, mindless dead have one advantage over you – but that's okay, as it's something you can practice.

And, with self-hypnosis, you can enter this state of mind whenever you need to.

Before we talk about this flavor of charisma, let's talk about its opposites. Stop me if any of these sound familiar:

The conversations fill with awkward pauses, nervous laughter and empty statements about the weather. It gets to the point where you grasp any topic that comes up with both hands.

Then there's the opposite. One person seizes control of the conversation and peppers the other with questions. Who are you? Where are you from? How big is your family? Each question earns a brief response before moving onto the next. It's closer to a police interrogation than a date.

As different as these experiences seem, they both have a common cause. They are traps that no zombie would ever stumble into:

You are thinking far, far too much.

Thinking is valuable and it has its place. It's a question of timing, though. You can plan the date beforehand and come up with some things to say and do. Afterwards, you can reflect on what went well, what did not and whether you want to see them again.

During the date, though? Quiet that mind of yours. Embrace your inner zombie.

You can not think and do at the same time. Each is a complex mental task that uses different parts of the brain. If you're trying to think of what to say, then you're not saying something interesting.

That's not to say you can not take a moment to gather your thoughts. That's fine – just do not spend the entire date there.

The arrival to aim for is when both of you are surprised by what you say. If you script out the conversation, it'll be stilated and awkward.

Thankfully, self-hypnosis is perfect for this. It's one of the ideal ways to switch from thinking into doing. Practice it in your quiet moments so you can rely on it when you need it.

I'm not a parent, but I've always been interested in what separates good ones from bad ones. There's no one factor, of course. Love is important but you do not have to look far to see that it's not enough.

Love expresses itself in so many ways. Some are healthy and others are not.

What more than love makes someone a kickass mother or father?

Again, there's still more than one ingredient. The stew that is the parent-child relationship is rich, complex and nourishing.

There is one thing, though, that all great parents seem to have.

It's something that can improve any relationship and feels especially important with kids.

This magic spice is a quality that, when you embrace it, makes everything you do better and easier.

The miracle ingredient is patience.

Everyone knows that children are exhausting and annoying. The people who love their kids seem to say this more than anyone. And it's true. They're loud, messy, ungrateful and unreasonable.

That's part of their charm. It's also a big chunk of the stress.

If an adult wants to go to the park and you offer to drive them, they'll be grateful. A child might run around the house, screaming with joy, and then chuck a tantrum when you tell them to put on their shoes so you can go.

How do you reason with that? Add a little sleep deprivation to the mix and, after the first ten hours, this stops being funny.

No one would blame you for feeling frazzled.

The superhero parents among us stay patient despite everything.

They keep their cool, they do not give in to nagging and they never take the easy way out.

How many moments do you wish you could do over because you lost patience?

There's a reason why they call it a virtue. It's one of those foundational skills that make everything else easier.

And, like many skills, self-hypnosis is the key to quickly mastering it. The act of learning self-hypnosis develops your patience. It trains your mind to keep its attention and stay with the moment.

Once you're in a trance, you can take this further. The more you keep your mind on task, the more patient you become.

Impatience only arises in two situations: when you think about how long you've been doing something, or when you look forward to something in the future. You can be nothing but patient in the moment. Train your mind to see each moment as a fresh experience.

This is how children see the world. This is why they can play the same game or watch the same movie over and over. They do not dwell on the fact that they've seen it, because each time through adds something new.

There's wisdom to this outlook on life. So do not fight your kids on this – join them. See your moment as if it's the first time. It's easy to be patient when you're mesmerized with wonder.

What separates those folk who you can not wait to see from those you wish you could avoid?

In a relationship, emotions matter – maybe even more than anything else does. There's a lot I could say about that, but Maya Angelou said it best:

People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Yes, this hold true even for highly intellectual people. They have a different view of what makes them happy – a bouquet of roses might not cut it – but the principle is the same.

The strength of your relationships comes down to the quality of the emotion. People like you if you make them feel good.

This is the danger in toxic behaviors and attitudes. No one would blame you for occasionally getting angry or needing to vent. If this is all you do, though, then watch out. If your presence makes people miserable, stressed or angry, they'll probably work hard to avoid you.

You might not be lonely if you do this. Some people like the drama of feeling down. These usually are not great people to spend time with, though.

On the other hand, if your presence makes people relaxed and happy, then you're in a good place. If you inspire, motivate and challenge them, then you'll attract only amazing people into your life.

This is not anything about sending positive vibes into the universe. It's simple psychology. Most successful people spend time to find people like this. Most people who just want to blame everyone else hate being reminded to grow.

Without even trying, you drive away energy vampires and welcome heroes into your social circle.

And it's a virtuous circle. The more you cultivate this attitude, the stronger this effect becomes.

So, how can self-hypnosis help with this?

You first think about what you want. Do you want to surround yourself with people who are courteous?

Courageous?

Entrepreneurial?

Spiritual?

Healthy?

Chances are that you've had conversations that resonated with you. Think about what happened and, importantly, how it felt.

If you can not think of a conversation like this, then enter a trance and imagine one. Make it as detailed as possible. Notice what emotions shift as you do this.

Before you step outside, go into a trance and reactivate this mental state. After a conversation, go into a trance and think about what worked (and what did not).

There's no need to force anything. In fact, it's better if you do not. Give it time and you'll find yourself having more of the right conversations.

In time, your social group will transform itself. People close to you will explore more of what you want. The right sort of people will fight for their place in your group. Slowly but surely, your relationships will reinvent themselves.

I was reading somewhere that insects do not have the ability to push themselves the way humans can. Compared to higher mammals, insects are simple and efficient machines. They already run near peak efficiency all the time.

It's a good thing we are not bugs. No matter how tapped out you feel, your well always runs deeper.

You see this in sports all the time, or even at the gym. Someone pushes themselves to the point where they can barely stand. Then they get their second wind. They explode with energy.

This is nothing. Put someone or their children in danger and some people respond by winning superpowers. Ordinary folk can gain the courage to walk through fire and the strength to lift cars.

Most of your power lies dormant. You've got a hazard to yourself and others if you lived like this all the time. If you push yourself too far, you break.

But if you push yourself just enough …

Like physical strength, you have deep reserves of mental strength. No matter how frazzled, stressed or drained you may feel, your well always runs deeper.

If you force yourself to smile and keep toiling, it can lead to problems. But if you find something in the moment that restores you, you can recover even as you work.

It's like owning a car. Ignored problems persist and grow, but a little bit of maintenance will keep you running for decades.

This applies to all jobs. Tough physical labor and a challenging office job have different challenges. The response is the same, though – find joy and fulfillment where you can, and nothing will faze you.

It's especially true for caregivers. Spending all day looking after others can drain you.

Or it can invigorate you.

For many people who work to ease the suffering of others, it's a bit of both.

In many cases, there are limits to what a caregiver can do. Some people hate the idea of ​​being helped or take out their frustrations on everyone else. Some people have problems that only time will heal. And sometimes they're the lucky ones.

It can take its toll.

But it does not have to.

You can mentally 'reset' at any time. It's like waking from a deep sleep – your thoughts are fresh, or at least different. You can leave your client in the past and focus all of your attention on the present.

I can not tell you how refreshing this is. It's like having a nap in a fraction of the time.

Self-hypnosis puts you in a trance where your mind is different. It often feels like you're on a break, with nothing to do or think about. Usually you use this trance state to create a change in your mind.

But simply experiencing it is enough.

Practice focusing on your breathing. You can always breathe, so you can always go into a quick, light trance. Take 15 seconds between tasks to reset and focus on the now.

What's the greatest sales technique of all time? The one that has converted the most disinterested observers into enthusiastic customers?

When you run through a list of different marketing strategies, you realize that one has been around longer than commerce. From the hunter-gatherer days where tribes traded and competed, through the bazaars of the ancient world to the global digital marketplace today, there's one approach that dominated through history.

That's not to say that modern approaches are not great. The internet lets you reach more customers for less effort than ever before.

That only works because of a numbers game. Most people ignore most ads, but everyone gets so many that the system still works. Even targeted advertising fizzles more often than it sizzles.

What's better than spraying your demographic with offers and enticements?

Why, it's getting their friends to do it for you.

Word of mouth continues to be one of the best marketing techniques of all time. Your friend and a salesperson may say the same things about the same product but, psychologically, it looks different.

One comes across as more genuine and helpful.

The other …?

Not so much.

It's a shame that salespeople can not capture that essence that distinguishes an honest recommendation from a blatant sales pitch. And self-hypnosis certainly could not help with those …

Or can it?

Most salespeople come across like they're trying to sell something, for obvious reasons. The best do not. When you talk to the top salespeople, it can feel like a chat with a good friend.

If you're in sales, you're probably friendly – you do not last long if you're rude or cold. But there's a difference between friendly and natural.

Think about when you, say, recommend a movie to a friend. This is sales, where you're selling an idea or experience. Only the way you do that is different from how you might do that in a store.

For one thing, it's casual and friendly. You're not pushy, though you might be enthusiastic about it.

Also, you tailor both the message and the product to your friend. If you want to recommend a horror movie, then it matters whether they love horror, hate it or shr it it off. You would not want to back them into a corner and make them feel pressured to see it – that can backfire.

When you honestly believe that your friend would gain something from your recommendation, that's when it has power.

This is the secret to sales. And what a great secret it is. You have to believe in what you're selling (if you do not, then what are you doing?) And, if it's not right for the customer, it forces you to distinguish that.

Will that cost you sales? Unlikely.

If a customer walks out of there with something that is not right, they'll return it.

If you talk them out of a sale, though, they'll come back to you. Not to the store – to you. And they'll bring their friends.

A genuine salesperson is rarer than platinum. People will not believe their luck when they find you.

The technique – if you even call it that – is simple. During your quiet moments, maybe just after you wake up, you hypnotize yourself. In a trance, you think of any moment where you recommended something to a friend. Relive how excited you were to share your discovery with them. There's an anticipation there, waiting until you hear what they thought about it.

This is the power state for humane sales. When you approach customers with this state filling your being, they will thank you for allowing them to buy from you.

Ahh, public speaking. It's probably safe to say that most people find it a little uncomfortable. And then there are those who are terrified by the thought of standing on a stage with all eyes on you.

Me? I'm one of the lucky and crazy few who enjoy it. I liked it even as a kid.

The funny thing is that people tell me how great it must be to not get nervous in front of a crowd.

Haha, what? Who said anything about not getting nervous? My job involves a lot of public speaking and, even now, I still get anxious beforehand.

It's the same way I feel about rollercoasters and those are fun.

With a little discipline and a little more self-hypnosis, you can enjoy public speaking as well.

You might think that this is one problem that self-hypnosis can not fix. After all, how do you enter a trance while standing in front of a group?

There are two things to say to that:

Firstly, it's easier than you think it is. I did it yesterday. I've seen other great speakers do it too. I do not know how common it is but, if you know the signs, you can spot it.

Secondly, you do not have to do anything while you're speaking. All you need to do is focus on your breathing and your audience. Trust that the words will come.

No, the best time to hypnotise yourself is before you begin speaking.

In the time leading up to the talk, think about what it's going to be like. Put yourself into a trance and imagine the venue. See through your eyes everything that you will see from this perspective. Bring to mind your audience – let them fill the seats.

If you start to feel nervous, then that's good. Do not suppress the feeling and do not ignore it.

Use that energy. Think about how great it is to know that you can rely on it. Even if you're a little sleepy that morning, your energy will wash it away and leave you shining.

Nervousness is such a wonderful gift from your own mind!

Continue to breathe as you think about how great it will be to have so much vitality. Take deep breaths through your nose and into your belly. Exhale gently through your mouth. Think about how, even in front of people, you always have time to breathe deeply.

And once you can use your breath to control your energy, it's time to go beyond that.

What is the purpose of your talk? Are you trying to inspire them? Sate their curiosity? Inform them?

Think about what you want them to experience. Even if your talk is the dulest status report of all time, you want the audience to be interested.

Find what you want them to feel.

And become it.

If you want to inspire them, then let yourself be inspired. If you want them to be curious, then be curious about what you say. Be interested in your topic and, like a virus, it'll spread to your audience.

Maybe you've heard and tried this advice before. Trust me – doing this while in a trance is different. Prepare yourself the right way – using self-hypnosis – and your results will amaze you.

It's easy – so simple that untrained hypnotists accidentally use this all the time.

Of all the techniques I know, this is probably the most reliable. After a little bit of practice, you can wield this with such skill that it's hard to resist.

And it's invisible. Most people will not know what you did, only that it felt amazing.

It's so good that most hypnotists I know use it. Many of them, if not most of them, use it multiple times a day. There are a few who do not and some of them get great results. I remember one skilled hypnotist who, on learning this technique, transformed. He instantly became that much more hypnotic …

And happier as a person.

The best part is that you can combine this with other hypnotic inductions. No matter what your favored style, technique or school is, this meshes with all of them.

That's a lot of build-up, so let's cut right to it:

The hypnotic induction to rule them all is …

Self-hypnosis.

This is so common that a lot of hypnotists reading this are probably feeling disappointed. “I already know that!” No doubt, but it always pays to remember the fundamentals.

The non-hypnotists reading this might find that intriguing. How could hypnotizing yourself be the best way to hypnotize someone else?

It works on so many levels.

The first is that self-hypnosis is a great way to enter the perfect mental state for it. It often leads to you feeling calm, focused and a sense of peace. You can add other emotions, like excitation or compilation – whatever the context calls for.

I find this especially useful in, we say, non-ideal environments. Sometimes you find yourself on a busy street, a crowded train or the middle of a park. My self-hypnosis trances allow me to focus on one person and blank out the rest of the world.

Most people have never received that level of attention. I know I like anyone who filters out all reality except me.

It also helps with subjects who've never been hypnotized before. They do not know what to do or expect. So show them. When the hypnotist enters a trance state, it gives the subject a model to follow.

And it's hard to resist. Watching someone in a trance makes you want to join them. It's almost irresistible.

Perhaps the biggest benefit is that it's good for the hypnotist. The process is intense and can take a lot out of you. A trance state, like a flow state, allows you to do your best work for long periods at a time.

Self-hypnosis is good for the hypnotist, subject and the trance they create between them. You can not ask for much more than that.

Okay, so some of you are familiar with hypnotherapy. You've heard it can be used for curing a number of ailments including stress, alcoholism and the like. But, if I were to ask, how many people do you know who's been treated by a hypnotherapist, it's possible you may not recall any! Of course, you'd know those, who regularly visit a shrink or associations like the Alcoholics Anonymous . So, why do not people make a beeline for hypnotherapy? To find out the answer to this question, and also about what hypnotherapy has to offer, just read on.

Hypnotism defined

Mention hypnotism and you'll straightaway relate it to occult or magic, probably influenced by the famous magicians who manage to make whole buildings disappear right in front of your eyes! Despite these fantastic feats, hypnotism remains simply a method of bringing on an artificial state of sleep in the subject by the power of suggestion. That's why the word hypnosis, derived from the Greek word hypnos , means sleep. It induces a state of reduced consciousness, where the subject remains wake, can talk and move, but becomes highly intolerable to suggestions.

The origin of hypnotism

Hypnotism is nothing new. It has always been a powerful tool of the occult. Witchdoctors and shamans have used it for thousands of years. However, the first use of hypnosis was in the seventeenth century and that too on animals. It was successfully used to calm chickens by balancing wood shavings on their beaks or tying their heads to the ground and drawing a line with chalk in front of their beaks. The French farmers even used it on hens to sit on eggs not their own!

The modern history of hypnotism is nothing but a seesaw battle between the believers and the skeptics. Dr. Franz Anton Mesmer applied this science to humans, though he termed it as magnetism. James Braid, a Scottish surgeon, introduced hypnotism as a modern day concept in 1843. Prior to Freud, this was the only known method of psychotherapy and was even used for performing major surgical operations, including amputations!

The power of hypnotherapy

Why hypnotherapy is preferred to other forms of healing is because it typically speeds up the therapeutic process. What may take months or years of regular psychotherapy can usually be accomplished within weeks with this therapy.

Hypnotherapy is effective in curing addictions, phobias, stress, anxiety and insomnia. It has been used for providing motivation, and building self-confidence and self-esteem. It has even come to the aid of those wanting to lose weight, stop smoking, become a better public speaker and increase fear of heights.

However, hypnotherapy is no magic. And it certainly can not make you a superhero! For example, it can not make you run a cross-country out of the blue, unless you are already a runner. But to a cross-country runner it can give a psychological edge that may make a difference between a gold and a bronze medal. Hypnosis can be likened to a tool, like a knife. You do not expect a knife to cut vegetables for you. But its availability makes it a whole lot easier to cut them the way you desire, rather than using your own hands! So, in other words, hypnosis is the tool that a hypnotherapist wields in curing your ailments.

This brings us to the important issue of selecting the right hypnotherapist.

Selecting a hypnotherapist

A hypnotherapist is a person who induces hypnotic state in you. Now, this sounds dicey, because, once hypnotized, you may come under his will and bidding. It's this feeling of vulnerability, which discourages most from preferring this kind of therapy. And that's probably why people do not usually make a beeline for a hypnotherapist! However, the answer to the question, “Can I be made to do things against my will?” will come a little later in this article.

So, what's the method of selection? Well, there's no foolproof method of selecting the right hypnotherapist any more than there is a guaranteed way to select the right physician, lawyer, accountant or a mechanic! However, reputation counts and you may get to know of good hypnotherapists from your personal physician, family or friends, workplace or the Yellow Pages . You can also get hold of a list of professional associations or go through the International Registry of Professional Hypnotherapists .

However, whenever the recommended hypnotherapists measure up to your requirement will depend entirely upon you. Their suitability depends upon various factors like personality, ideology (that may affect a good rapport), and also the nature of your problem. Although the best indication of a good professional is his satisfied clients, in this case, this is not so, because of the highly personalized nature of this therapy. That's why someone's recommended hypnotherapist may not, at times, turn out to be good enough for you.

So, what're you to do? There's a number of ways in which you can choose a good hypnotherapist. In your first meeting have a long chat to find out your comfort level with him. Answer questions like: Do I feel welcome and accepted?Does their ignorance give me pleasant vibes?Does their office feel like a haven?Do they seem knowledgeable enough?Are they genially interested in my problems and me?Do they ask a lot about me and really listen?Do they appear hopeful?

You may also need to find out about his background, professional qualifications, years in practice and experience with your kind of problem. In addition:

-Find out if your problem can be treated without hypnosis. -B clear about the hypnotherapy procedure. Will hypnosis be physically induced or help of audiotapes be taken. -Know if personalized service, tailor to your needs, will be provided. Settle for nothing less. -Ask if someone can accompany you for the session. Genuine hypnotherapists would have facilitated to find a friend or relative with you. -Find out if the session can be tape-recorded. Well-meaning hypnotherapists would let you do it for later use at home, as reinforcement. -ASK for references and memberships in hypnotherapy associations. -Know wherever self-hypnosis will be taught. Hypnotherapists with your interests at heart will automatically do so to help you become self-reliant. -Find out about the fee structure, but do not be overly concerned with the per session fee. If you're able to get cured in the appropriate number of sessions, a high fee would seem like a bargain!

However, do not be overly worried about the time or the number of sessions your problem may take, as there are far too many variables. Also, do not ask about the success rate, as this is no indication for your chances of success.

The methods employed by hypnotherapists

A hypnotherapist has a choice of a number of techniques for hypnotic induction. The six main induction categories are:

a.Eye fixation or fixed gaze method: As the name implies, in this method the subject is required to gaze at a spinning disc, or some such thing, to get into a trance. However, it's not a very successful method as most subjects fail to respond to it. b.Progressive relaxation and imagery method: This involves having the subject imagine being in a safe or peaceful place, and then awakening him or her to full consciousness. c.Mental confusion method: This is designed to confuse the conscious mind, so that it simply becomes easier to just relax the mind and make it 'let go' into hypnosis. d.Mental misdirection method: This symbols active use of the imagination, coupled with response, to hypnotize through responding to suggestions. e.Loss of equilibrium method: This makes use of gentle rocking to get the subject into a trance. f.Shock to nervous system method: This exercises a mysterious emphatic command given in a surprising manner. The subject experiences a moment of passivity during which he 'either resist the trance, or let go and drop quickly into hypnosis.

Hypnotherapists may combine two or more methods to achieve the desired results. The combinations of methods may be as limitless as the imagination of those employing them!

What to expect in hypnotherapy

To find out how it feels to be under the sway of a hypnotherapist, let's see how a hypnotherapy session is conducted:

-First, the hypnotherapist will discuss in detail the problems afflicting you to determine the nature of your problem. -Next, he will explain the process to ease your anxiety and prepare you for hypnosis. -This done, he will guide you through some exercises to determine the degree of physical and emotional suggestibility to gauge your threshold to suggestions. -after this, he will put you into a hypnotic state by using individualized methods and techniques. -As you begin to slip into the hypnotic trance, your body will relax and your mind will detach from everyday concerns and responsibilities. This will be accompanied by increased muscle relaxation, a feeling of well being, increased threshold to pain and diminished ability to vocalize. -Now, the hypnotherapist will apply his power of suggestion, telling you to focus on things you'd like to change. He'll then proceed to show you the way to achieve those changes. You may have flashbacks of stressful memories and you may become almost childlike in accepting ideas or suggestions about yourself.

So, when'll you start noticing the changes? It depends upon the intensity of your session or the number of times you're made to listen to your audiotape, which can be for up to a month. You'll begin noticing behavioral changes spontaneously popping into your conscious mind almost immediately. Your subconscious mind will help you out of your old patterns with these cues.

The risks of hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is not dangerous and, till date, no one has been seriously hurt (except some in the region of the pocket because of unscrupulous hypnotherapists!). Even the Council of Mental Health of the American Medical Association has approved hypnosis as a safe practice with no harmful side effects. The reason is the great resilience of our subconscious that always has our best interest as its main concern. The only danger is from ignorance and misconceptions about this procedure.

Coming to the most dreaded question, “Can I have made to do things against my will?” The answer is a resounding no! Most people develop these false beliefs by witnessing stage hypnosis performed by magicians, which is pure fun and entertainment. Under hypnosis, no one can make you do anything against your will or contradict to your value system. No one can make you unknowingly reveal your deepest secrets either. People are also known to tell lies under hypnosis, and that's why, the court of law does not admit testimony under hypnosis!

Some people fear that hypnosis may lose their will and make them dependent on the hypnotherapist. Nothing can be further from the truth. Hypnosis is, in fact, a tool to gain more self-control, and can actually help improve one's focus in life!

What if you do not wake up? There is not a single case where someone has refused to rise and shine after the session. Hypnosis, as explained earlier, is akin to falling asleep and you get up, as if you've awakened after a nice long nap.

So, for those in dire need of help and wanting to try out something different, hypnotherapy may come as a shot in the arm. It's quick, it's safe and it's effective.

One of the primary goals of psychotherapy has been the healing of depression, anxiety, chronic anger, and other emotional disorders, as well as the elevation of psychosomatic diseases which source is in the client's suppressed emotions. As hypnotherapists, we are constantly encountering our clients' childhood pain and trauma while trying to assist them in behavioral changes. Alchemical hypnotherapy offers revolutionary new technologies for the rapid healing of these childhood memories. This process is “Emotional Clearing Therapy. “This article discusses how these new strategies of healing child traumas accelerates the solving of these emotional problems.

Psychological research has consistently indicated that our patterns of emotional health or weakness are often determined by childhood factors. Sigmond Freud was the first modern psychologist to suggest that trauma in the early years of childhood may be of supreme importance in determining an individual's emotional adjustment in later life.

More recent research by behavioral psychologists has indicating that the basic nurturing a child receives in its first six years of life provides the critical foundation for happiness, maturity and responsibility in later life. Serious traumas occurring in this time period can permanently cripple that child's maturing process.

The healing of these emotional traumas, however, has been an elusive goal for most psychotherapies. Freud used such techniques as free association and dream interpretation to reach an analysis of the client's subconscious material after 2-5 years of weekly therapy. The insight gained by the client into the childhood sources of his current neurosis would, theoretically, allow the client to let go of childish or irrational behavior. The client's logic might be as follows: “Well, I can see that these feelings or behaviors might have was appropriate at age 3, but are obviously unnecessary now! ”

Since Freud's day, the science of insight therapy has come a long way, but is still based on Freud's basic principle that insight leads to recovery. However, a large percentage of clients have discovered that insight alone is not sufficient to alleviate the emotional symptoms caused by childhood trauma.

More recently, therapy pioneers like Wilhelm Reich and Arthur Janov have developed a new form of therapy called “emotional release “to deal with early trauma to the scene of these childhood experiences and reliving them in gory detail, it is thought that a client could release the emotional charge from the experience, often by kicking and screaming. This would relieve muscular tension, anxiety, and neurotic behavior. Wilhelm Reich's work involved forcing the emotional release through deep pressure on the body's muscles in which the repressed emotional charge had been stored.

Janov created a powerful group experience through psychodrama methods. These therapies are based on the concept that releasing locked-in emotion through acting out buried feelings in the context of being regressed to a childhood memory presented the long-thought solution for childhood trauma. Therefore, I call these methods “emotional release therapy. ”

Recently, some problems have become evident in this form of therapy as well. Many of my colleges and students in this field have not noticed that people who have done many months of emotional release become very adept at expressing feelings, but are not necessarily feeling better. They often become fixated on acting out negative emotions. One client of mine who had worked with Janov for six months stated that asserting his feelings, crying, and being emotionally upset became a pattern for him and others in his group.

While getting in touch with his feelings felt good at first, getting stuck acting out his emotional pain all the time felt bad. His solution: he repressed his emotions and moved back into his intellect. Another friend found that Reichian therapy allowed her to open up all the anger inside, but her frequent fits of rage did not make her very many friends or make her life easier.

Now a new style of therapy is emerging which utilizes an entirely new approach to dealing with childhood trauma. This therapy, which I call “emotional clearing”, focuses on providing the client's Inner Child with an experience of being loved and nurtured by caring parents after being rescued from the trauma of childhood. This mode of therapy is especially effective because it provides the opportunity for the client to experience, in a childlike state, the fulfillment of emotional needs and completion of the emotional maturation which was blocked by traumatic experiences. Furthermore, while emotional release therapy may fixate the client in the expression of negative emotions, emotional clearing allows the client to experience substantial states of bliss and joy which the therapist can then anchor (through post-hypnotic suggestion) to the client's daily stressful situations, replacement tension and fear with bliss and joy even in difficult crisis.

For example, one client who had a phobia of crowded supermarkets (“agoraphobia”) entered a childhood trauma which connected to this phobic response. During the course of the session, we rescued her child from this traumatic scene by having the client visualize her adult self and other persons that she trusted enter into the hypnotically-induced scene. After rescuing this “inner child”, I suggested that she become the rescued child. She felt this experience as waves of bliss and relief in her body. I then used post-hypnotic suggestion to anchor this bliss, saying, “Every time you enter a supermarket, you remember this wonderful feeling of being rescued. ”

This linking process is simply a teaching the subconscious mind to change its response pattern from (supermarket = childhood trauma = panic) to the new pattern (supermarket = childhood rescue = bliss).

After one session in this case, a one-year follow-up revealed a complete remission of symptoms.

Hypnotherapy, as a word has been associated with a lot of mumbo-jumbo over the years. Whenever we think of hypnosis, we think of evil characters manipulating the actions of innocent individuals for their own selfish motives. But in the recent years there has been a lot of researchers on the subject of hypnosis and the findings have been startingling. Did you know that on an average almost all of us are in a trance / hypnotic state everyday without being aware of it? Did you know that hypnotherapy is not something restricted to mankind, but that even animals practice some form of it? Did you know that the ancient Egyptians used hypnosis as early as 3rd Century BC?

In the last few years hypnotherapy has emerged as a major tool for personality development and psychological healing. Everyone, yes everyone can benefit with the use of hypnosis in altering some personality traits or areas of concern in our lives. Hypnotherapy is in some sense like art, the more you practice, the better you get at it. That is why the old adage “practice makes perfect” fits hypnosis so well. I have always believed and instilled in my clients that hypnosis is a natural state, it is something as normal as breathing. We all get into trance like states everyday … remember those summer afternoons when your boss was talking nonstop in a meeting, and you found yourself drifting into a world of your own? That's exactly what the state of hypnosis is like.

Hypnosis is a relaxed state of mind, where we connect with our subconscious mind; it is similar to meditation but the difference lies in the fact that with hypnosis you do not disconnect with the present world, but are aware of it completely. A person who is being hypnotized is in control of the process all through, and no, you can not be hypnotized against your will. Neither will you ever get stuck within a hypnotic state; all that might happen to you is that you might doze off in a particularly effective hypnotherapy session.

Just imagine what the future could be like if you realized that you had the power to change it. Does the idea seem like something out of a fantasy? There is every reason for you to feel that it is impossible to miraculously change things about yourself, and create a new you. You are not to be blamed; it is the way we have been conditioned in society. It makes us think that the power to change ourselves and our lives lies not with us but with some mysterious entity. But I am here to tell you that the power lies inside you, all you need to do is search for it inside. Hypnotherapy is a tool which can help you reach that power, and help you unleash the true potential of your subconscious mind.

Hypnotherapy can be used to help you work on your confidence, to increase your intuitive powers, for a positive self image, to cure you of smoking or drinking and to gain insight among other things. You can help realign and re-educate your subconscious mind through the use of hypnosis.

Hypnosis is a Greek word which means “sleep”. This is also referred to as hypnotherapy. With the help of a hypnotherapist, you reach a trancelike state of restful awareness. When you are under hypnosis you are actually not sleeping, though it may seem like you are. You tend to be more focused and more responsive to suggestions. The main purpose of this is to help you gain self control over your emotions and behavior.

How does it work?

Although it is not very clear how it works, it tends to synchronize the body and the brain through nerve impulses, body chemicals, and hormones. It is said that the mind has two parts; the subconscious mind and the conscious mind. When you are hypnotized, you are told to be in your subconscious mind. It helps you relax and quieten your mind. We tend to go into the hypnotic state in our day to day life also. Many a time we lose track of the time and get engrossed in our work, or while reading a good book or listening to good music, this is similar to the hypnotic process.

Stages:

When you are under hypnosis, you tend to concentrate intensely without any distractions. As you become more open to suggestions, you tend to listen to what you are being told, which could help you give up your bad habits like smoking and drinking alcohol, improving your health and well being.

You are said to go through three stages in Hypnotherapy; the first being the perfect trance, where your eyes may be closed, but you still exist in the present stage and you are aware of your surroundings. During this stage you are more open to suggestions, but since the trance is very light, there is a possibility that you may not accept it. The second stage is the alpha stage, which is deeper than the first one. Here the person accepts what he is being told. The therapist can actually control your response to any physical pain or allergies and control your immune system. Your blood pressure and your heart rate can also be controlled. The third stage is called age regression, which is even worse than the alpha stage. In this stage the person can be sent back in time to remember events which had occurred years back. This technique is helpful to make the person come out of any physical, mental, or emotional problems, which could be related to his past. Cases like sexual abuse during childhood can really disturb the mind, causing physical and mental torture.

Benefits:

Deep hypnosis can also relieve pain from your body and control allergies. Chronic pain such as arthritis, fibromyalgia and back pain are said to be improved with hypnotherapy. Practicing this can relieve symptoms up to 70 percent. Even sleeping disorders such as sleep apnea and snoring can be improved. This technique is even used in the emergency rooms in hospitals to help relax a severely injured victim, and even in the ICU to control the heart rate and respiration. Dentists also use this technique to decrease pain, calm the patients, and to reduce bleeding. Even during childbirth it is used to relieve pain.

Hypnosis can work only when you fulfill three conditions – A peaceful environment without any disturbance, good understanding between the therapist and you, and your cooperation and willingness to be a part of the therapy.

Hypnosis performed by a certified hypnotherapist is said to bring good changes in your health. It helps you give up unwanted habits like smoking, overeating, give up alcohol, and overcoming stress. It can also help control phobias, and this therapy has shown positive results in controlling asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, and high blood pressure.

Remember to go only to a certified and recognized practitioner, as the success of the therapy will depend on the competency of the therapist. It is best to take opinions from friends and those around you.

Hypnotherapy is the use of hypnosis to treat patients who are in pain or who are having problems within their minds. Those who use hypnotherapy believe that patients who enter a trance are much more likely to listen to suggestions which are given to them. Some conditions which are treated by hypnotherapy are pain, stress, obesity, stress, and amnesia. While many of these conditions are related to the mind, some functional ailments can be treated as well. Hypnotherapy is a practice that was used by the Ancient Egyptians and Indians. In these societies the practice would often have a religious tone, and both music and dance was included in the practice.

It was not until the 19th century that a number of healers began developing the methods that would come to be known as hypnosis. Franz Anton Mesmer developed a theory which has come to be known as animal magnetism. He did extensive research on hysteria, and his studies indicated that advanced cases were similar to what is called a post-traumatic stress disorder. The work of Sigmund Freud also played an important role in the development of hypnotherapy. There are a number of criticisms which have been made against the practice.

Some believe that the connection between the patient and the therapist may cause problems. The patient may want to please the therapist, or they may worry that the therapist does not like them. However, many of these claims are inconsistent because hypnotherapy will generally take place in a medical facility. There are a number of common techniques that are used in this practice. One of the primary techniques is age regression. The hypnotist will attempt to mentally return the patient to a previous state, and this will often be done to help the patient gain something that they have lost.

The second technique that is commonly used in hypnotherapy is called revivification. In this technique, the hypnotist will help the patient remember previous experiences they've had. As an example, the hypnotist may ask a patient if they have ever been fishing, and if they have been, they will begin recollecting the time that they went fishing, and there will be no need for the hynotist to create a new state. Another common method that is used in hypnotherapy is called a guided imagery. With this technique, the hypnotist will guide the patient through a pleasant experience. The hypnotist may often repeat certain ideas or concepts in order to get the patient to accept them, and this is called repentition.

In general, people are more relaxed when they are in a dream state. When a person is able to visualize something they desire, research has shown that it is much more likely that they will obtain it. In this situation, the goal of the hypnotist is to help the patient achieve a desired goal. The word Hypnotherapy is based off the word “Hypnos,” and this was the name of the Greek god of sleep. This technique has been primarily used to help people on a mental level, and was not well understood until the 19th century.

Have you ever wanted to change a habit or become more self-confident or motivated, only to find something within you is resisting change? That's your subconscious, and the fact that your subconscious can create such resistance to change is why we often use Hypnotherapy.

Please note that this is by no means a comprehensive list, simply an example of what hypnotherapy can do for you.

Hypnotherapy is a complementary therapy applying various therapeutic techniques, such as suggestion, guided imagery and metaphor, while you are under hypnosis. Combining a naturally relaxed yet focused state of mind under hypnosis and subjective therapeutic techniques, hypnotherapy can help you to achieve your goals, enhance your confidence, change unwanted habits and improve your outlook on life for the better.

Hypnoanalysis is an effective choice of therapy to address: irrational fears and phobias, panic attacks, anxiety, relationship difficulties, psycho-sexual problems, lack of confidence, moodiness, sleeping difficulties, inferiority complex, enuresis (bed wetting), emotional problems, and most other problems where there are psychological factors at work. Hypnoanalysis tend to get the root cause of a presenting difficulty so substitute symptoms are far less likely.

NLP, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, is a powerful tool for fast and effective change. Just one or two sessions can eliminate unwanted habits and behavior and help you adopt positive lifestyle changes. NLP is particularly useful in the treatment of any mind-related conditions such as phobias, addictions or self-esteem issues, and for managing stress.

Educational Kinesiology / Childs play is a sequence of simple and enjoyable movements and exercises, that we use with our students to enhance learning and coordination. These activities make learning fun and the changes in learning and behavior are often immediate and profound. It is especially useful for those with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Tourettes. Treatments combining some or all of these methodologies can be very powerful in brining about a desired change.

Frequently asked questions.

What does it feel like to be hypnotised?

There is no real feeling of being hypnotized, it's a natural state of mind, its like just before you drop off to sleep at night, you feel very relaxed and calm and its a very pleasant feeling.

Will I be aware of what is happening?

Yes, you will always be completely aware and in total control and can exit the state anytime you wish too.

Can I not do want to?

No, Stage hypnotists do perpetuate the myth regarding the power of hypnosis to make people do 'anything'. Hypnosis does lower inhibitions meaning that people in stage shows often do things that would not normally do. But is it really something they do not want to do? Let's remember the person did volunteer, knowing they may well end up barking like a dog or some other harmless stunt.

Is hypnosis dangerous in any way?

No, it is an entirely natural and voluntary state that you can chose to come out of anytime you want.

Can you get stuck in hypnosis?

No, It is a perfectly natural state of relaxation.

Can anyone be hypnotised?

Almost anyone who wants to be hypnotised can be hypnotised. Unfortunately people who are truly mentally subnormal or senile, very young children or people under the influence of drugs or alcohol may not be able to achieve a good hypnotic state.

The purpose of most hypnotherapy is to alter some undesirable aspect of behavior. The aspect of behavior to be modified can be something like overeating, stopping smoking, anxiety or it can range to more serious personality disorders like psychosis. The therapist, in hypnotherapy, puts the subject into a trance like state in which the therapist can deliver suggestion or talk with the subject's subconscious mind directly. Basically, the trance allows the therapist to bypass the subject's conscious.

Indducing a trance is a reliably easy process. There are various techniques like having the subject stare at and concentrate on a spot on the wall or traveling a stopwatch or pendulum back-and-forth in front of his face as he follows it with his eyes. The therapist, speaking in a monotone, says things like “you are becoming more and more relaxed”, “you can feel the tension draining from your body”, etc. When the subject is in the trance the therapist then gives the suggestions in the same monotonic voice. The suggestions have to be carefully worded to bring about the desired effect. When the therapy session is over, the therapist brings the subject out of the trance by saying something like “you are becoming more aware of you surroundings” and “open your eyes when you are ready to”. The subject will then “wake up”. Hypnotherapy directed by a therapist is referred to hetero-suggestion.

If the intention of the hypnotherapy is to modify behavior like overeating or stopping smoking, usually more than one session is required. The effects are not immediate but the behavior should begin to change gradually in days or weeks. Hypnotherapy can make it easier for the subject to lose weight or to quit smoking. Also, hypnotherapy can be beneficial in the treatment of some psychoses. In the trance like state the therapist can talk with the subject and bring up repressed events that are causing problems in the subject's life. Some things too painful to say in a conscious state may be able to be disclosed in hypnotic state. These painful past events may be causing symptoms like dreams or nightmares, phobias, etc. A psychotherapist, having knowledge of these events, is in a better position to help the subject recover.

There are many benefits of hypnotherapy for people who want to modify behavior. It is easy and reliably inexpensive form of therapy, even though it may require several session.